1 John 2 - Introduction

He comforteth them against the sins of infirmity. Rightly to know God, is to keep his commandments, to love our brethren, and not to love the world. We must beware of seducers: from whose deceits the godly are safely preserved, by perseverance in faith, and holiness of life.

Anno Domini 90.

THE apostle having in the preceding chapter, mentioned the honour which believers derive from being members of the fellowship of God the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ; also having shewed the obligation which lieth on all the members of that infinitely honourable fellowship, to imitate God in his holiness; and described the benefits to be obtained by being in that Divine fellowship, particularly the great benefit from being cleansed from all sin through the blood of Christ; he, in the beginning of this chapter, declared that he wrotethese things to them, not to encourage them to sin, but to prevent them from sinning. Yet if any one happened to sin, through surprise or strong temptation, or weakness of understanding, he was not to despair of pardon, provided he repented and did not continue in his sin; because we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Just One, 1 John 2:1 who is the propitiation appointed of God for their sins, and not for theirs only, but for the sins of the whole world: no nation under heaven is excluded from a share in the blessings that he has purchased; nor shall anyperson whatsoever be excluded, let his iniquities have been ever so great and aggravated, if he will but make a proper application to him, 1 John 2:2. And it is evident to us, adds the apostle, that we have a true and saving knowledge of Christ, which includes faith in him, and love to him, if it has a powerful influence to engage us to a sincere, cheerful, and unreserved obedience to whatever he has commanded, both in the precepts of the moral law, and in the institutions of the gospel, 1 John 2:3. On the contrary, the disobedient falsely pretend to a knowledge of him, of which they are quite destitute, 1 John 2:4. But, says he, whosoever uprightly, impartially, and continually keepeth his word, in him certainly is the love of God perfected: it is plain he has that perfect love truly in his heart, and does not make a vain and hypocritical pretence to it; and such a person may thereby know that he is in close, intimate fellowship with God, 1 John 2:5.—But he who professes to live in such communion with him whom he calls his Divine Master, ought in every thing to trace, and, according to the rich measure of grace bestowed upon him, to imitate, his example, 1 John 2:6.

Next, the apostle told them, that in so earnestly pressing them to an imitation of Christ, and that with regard to the great duty of love, which he was in an especial manner going to recommend to them (1 John 2:8.) he did not write about any commandment which was entirely new; but reminded them of a divine precept, which, for the substance of it, was of perpetual obligation, long before, even as long as the beginning of the Old Testament dispensation; and which they were taught with additional light, and enforcements at the first publication of the gospel among them, 1 John 2:7. But to give them a larger and still more striking view of it, he again wrote to explain the excellent duty of brotherly love, and to inculcate it upon them under new obligations, motives, encouragements, assistances, and endearments, and to raise it to a higher degree of spiritual, extensive, and cordial affection, according to Christ's new injunction of it (Matthew 5:43.) than ever was known or practised before: and with regard thereunto it may be called a new commandment, which is eminently copied out with the greatest truth and evidence in Christ, whoin his transcendent love had set them the brightest example of it, and which was imitated to a good degree in them who were taught of God to love one another (1 Thessalonians 4:9.;) because the darkness of the Old Testament dispensation, and of their former state of ignorance, error, and sin, had passed away, and in a great measure was over and gone, and the clear light of the truth of the gospel in the revelation which it makes of Christ, who is by way of eminence the true light, (John 1:9.) is now displayed in its full glory, and shines in their hearts (2 Corinthians 4:6.) 1 John 2:8. He therefore who professes to believe the gospel, and to be enlightened in the knowledge of Christ, and at the same time is under the power of an uncharitable, malicious, or revengeful temper towards his Christian brother, is a stranger to evangelical light and grace, and remains in a state of sin and error, which is the worst of all darkness, to this very day, 1 John 2:9. On the contrary, the believer who has a cordial love to his brother for Christ's sake, in imitation of him, under the constraints of his love, and in obedience to his commands, is really enlightened and renewed by the grace of the gospel; and there is no room for taking offence at him, who lays no stumbling-block before his brethren: nor will any difficulties that he may meet with in the way of his duty, be a stumbling-block to himself, to hinder his cheerfully persisting in it, 1 John 2:10. But, I now repeat it, every professor of Christ's name that harbours a severe unfriendly disposition, and indulges prejudices in his heart against his brother, is in an unregenerate state, and under the power of sin; and he hereby shews that he goes on in such errors and evil courses as are spiritual darkness itself; and does not understand the way which leads to eternal life, because of the blindness of his heart, 1 John 2:11. The admonitions which I have given, adds the apostle, are such as equally concern you all. As for those of you, who are young converts, babes in Christ, I write to you, because you are freely forgiven of God for the sake of Jesus Christ, through the merit of his atoning Blood, in whose name this great benefit has been preached, and is conveyed to you, 1 John 2:12. As to those of you who have attained a large stock of knowledge and experience, I write to you, fathers in Christ, because you have been long acquainted with the Ancient of days, even God the Father and his co-eternal Son. As to those of you, who, for zeal, activity, and spiritual attainments, are like young men that are come to the strength and vigour of their age, and fit for military exploits, I write these things to you, because you have encountered, wrestled against, and obtained glorious victories over your great adversary the Devil. To impress these things the more deeply upon you severally, I now say again, proceeds the apostle, I write them to those of you who are but newly born of God, because ye have been brought to a fiducial, affectionate knowledge of God, as your Heavenly Father in and through his beloved Son. I have also written these things to those of you who, like fathers, are far advanced in knowledge and grace, and who take pleasure in meditating upon the deep things of God, because you have, with great judgment, faith, and love, understood much of him, and entered deeply into the enjoyment of the Triune God. And I have written these things to those of you who, like young men, are grown up to maturity in spiritual growth and liveliness for action, because you are enabled to perform the most difficult duties; and the word of God, according to the gospel-revelation, has deep root within you; and, bywielding this sword of the Spirit with the hand of faith, you have defeated and gained signal conquests over the great enemy of your souls, 1 John 2:13. St. John, having roused the attention of the old, the middle-aged, and the young, in the divine and heavenly life, told them that one of his grand precepts was, not to be in love with the spirit, or the men, or manners of this world, neither with the things which the men of the world pursue; because, in such case, the grand principle of all religion, the love of God, would not be in them, 1 John 2:15. For, how enticing soever the things of this world be to the irregular desires of men's hearts, they only prove ensnaring to the affections, so far as any of them are perverted: this is not according to the original design of the Father of mercies in giving them, nor is it the product of his love to his children, or of theirs to him; nor can he be the approver of it: but it all proceeds from the malignant influence of the things of thisworld on men's carnal hearts, and their own corrupt inclinations to them, 1 John 2:16. And still further, adds the apostle, to arm you against all temptations, and to take off all inordinate affections from things on earth, you oughtto consider what an uncertain, unsatisfying, fading, and perishing thing this world is; that it is continually fleeting and changing hands while we are in it; and that even its best things are very precarious and transitory, and will soon come to an end. But the true lover of God, who is wrought into a conformity to his holy will, as made known in his word; and who, from a principle of faith, asworking by love, perseveres in a governing course of obedience to it, is possessed of substantial, satisfying, and abiding realities; and shall live for ever in full possession of all durable and heavenly happiness, 1 John 2:17.

At the time St. John wrote this letter, the Christians in Judea and the neighbouring countries were greatly harrassed by the unbelieving Jews, in the tumults which they excited immediately before their last war with the Romans. Wherefore, to comfort more especially the newly converted under these sufferings, he assured them that it was the last hour of the duration of the Jewish state; so that the power of their persecutors would soon be broken: and to prove that it was the last hour, he put them in mind that Christ, in his prophesy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, had mentioned the appearing of many false prophets, as a sign of the impending ruin. Wherefore, since manyfalse teachers, whom the apostles called antichrists, because they were opposers of Christ (1 John 2:22.) were then going about deceiving many, they might from that circumstance know that it was the last hour of the Jewish commonwealth, 1 John 2:18. These false teachers, the apostle observed, had gone out from them, having been once in the Christian church; but they were not of the number of the teachers who were commissioned and inspired by Christ. For if they had been of that number, they would have remained with the apostles. But they were permitted to depart from the society of the apostles, that they might be known to be impostors who taught false doctrine, 1 John 2:19. But as to those of you, adds the apostle, who have not been carried away with their errors, you have a rich unction of the Spirit in his gifts and graces, which is shed abundantly upon you through Jesus Christ: your exalted Saviour: and you, through this spiritual anointing, are led into an experimental and practical knowledge of every thing that is necessary for your preservation from the deceit of these seducers, and for your own salvation, 1 John 2:20. The apostle therefore observes, I have not written to you because you do not know the grand truths of the gospel, and particularly those two fundamental doctrines, the supreme Godhead of the Son, and his real incarnation; but because ye know them, and know also that the false teachers affirm abominable lies in direct contradiction to the truth, when they deny the supreme Godhead of Christ, or say that he did not come in the flesh, 1 John 2:21. Who then, said he, is the liar or false prophet foretold to arise before the destruction of Jerusalem, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son and the anointed of God come in the flesh: they are antichrists who deny the Father's testimony that he hath sent his Son in the flesh, and the Son's testimony that he actually came in the flesh, 1 John 2:22. Whoever he be thatdenies the divine personality and mediatorial office of the only-begotten Son of God, he denies, not only the Father's testimony to him as the Messiah, but also, by consequence, denies the Father's divine relation to him as the Son; and so takes away the distinguishing personal characters of both, and the peculiar glory which belongs to them respectively in the economy of salvation; and has not a true knowledge of the Father, nor a saving interest in him. But he who cordially owns and confesses the Son to be a divine Person, and the only Saviour of lost sinners, believes and confesses that he is the eternal Son of the Father, and was sent by him; and thus has a due regard, and pays suitable honour, both to the Father and the Son (John 5:23.) 1 John 2:23. Therefore, said St. John, let the belief of the Father's testimony concerning his Son, which you have heard from the beginning, abide in you, that ye may abide in the fellowship of the Son and of the Father, and thereby obtain eternal life, 1 John 2:24. For this is the promise which the Son hath made in his Father's and his own name, to those who abide in his fellowship, namely, that they shall obtain eternal life, 1 John 2:25.

The apostle now concludes this excellent discourse. These things, says he, I have written to you, &c. 1 John 2:26.—But I need not insist so largely on them as I otherwise might, because thatunction, consisting of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which you have been favoured with, remains as a constant principle within you, to enlighten, guide, and govern you; so that there is no necessity for your being instructed in the first principles of the oracles of God by any man whatever; much less of your being taught by any of these new upstarts, who would carry you off from the pure gospel of Christ: but as this holy unction itself leads you into the knowledge of all things necessary to salvation, according to the word of God, which is truth, and has no falsehood in it; so by means of its continual influence upon you, you may remain steadfast in Christ and in the doctrines of his gospel, 1 John 2:27.—I say, little children, by holding the truth concerning the Son, and practising holiness, abide in his fellowship; that when he appears to judge the world, we may have full confidence of your acceptance, and not be put to shame by the errors or vices of our disciples. This is the hope that we have concerning you now: and since (u949?αν,) as we trust, you have right thoughts of Christ, as the righteous and holy One, and the Author of all righteousness in others wherever it is found; you may thence assuredly conclude with an application to yourselves, that every one, who, like him, is a lover and practiser of those things which are right and holy, in imitation of him, and from a principle of faith in and love to him, is a partaker of a divine nature by his regenerating Spirit, and so is, by gracious adoption and the new birth, a child of God and an heir of eternal glory.